Locking arrangement for photographic apparatus



s- 5. 1969 G. w. om; 3,459,064

OCKING ARRANGEMENT FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30. 1967 GEORGE w. O'GARA INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 74-527 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a locking arrangement in which a keying element having integral lug members engages recessed openings provided in a handle rotatably supported on the body of photographic apparatus. The keying element is spring biased in one direction, and in locked position, the lug members are adapted to engage raised stop elements provided On the apparatus body. Upon depressing a button integral with the keying element, the lug members are disengaged, and the handle may then be moved to the succeeding locked position.

Cross references to related applications Reference is made to commonly assigned copending US. patent application Ser. No. 678,982, entitled, Handle and Battery Compartment for Photographic Apparatus, filed in the name of Walter Edward Taylor, on Oct. 30, 1967.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to a locking arrangement for a movable handle on a motion picture camera or other photographic apparatus.

Description of the prior art It is known in the locking art to use compression springs to resiliently and releasably urge a member in a given direction. For example, US. 2,631,470 to Sandburg discloses, as part of an automobile braking arrangement, the use of a compression spring to bias an interlock mechanism in a rearwardly direction. The problems described in the Sandburg patent are associated with rectilinear displacement, while the present invention is concerned with a combination of elements to enable a member to be rotatably displaced into successive locked positions. While the problems are somewhat analagous, they are nevertheless dissimilar and no known art discloses or suggests the solution presented here.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A locking arrangement is illustrated by its application to a motion picture camera, in which a rotatably mounted handle may be moved into successive locked positions. A keying element having lug members adapted to engage complementary openings in the handle, cooperates with arcuated recesses and raised stop elements arranged around the periphery of an aperture in the camera cover, the aperture being coaxial with the axis of rotation of the handle. A spring means biases the keying element, forcing its lug members into locking engagement with cooperating pairs of raised stop elements, while a detent button integral with the keying means permits the lug members to be momentarily displaced from the recesses, so that the handle may be rotated into the succeeding locked position.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a locking arrangement for photographic apparatus where- 3,459,064 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 by a handle may be reliably and adjustably locked in selected positions.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial pictorial view showing the locking arrangement in accordance with the invention, in an illustrated embodiment wherein the handle and battery compartment of a movie camera is locked in the extended position;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view, depicting the locking arrangement in accordance with the invention, and showing the mechanical interaction of the component parts;

FIG. 3 is a partial pictorial view showing the spring means and cooperating shaft for biasing the keying element in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial pictorial view of the inside cover member of a movie camera showing the arrangement of the cooperating locking elements when the handle and battery compartment member is in the closed position; and

FIG. 5 is a partial pictorial view of the inside cover of a movie camera showing the positioning of the cooperating locking elements when the handle and battery compartment member is in the extended position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The locking arrangement of the instant invention will be described in an illustrative embodiment in which it is used to lock the hand grip of a movie camera in either one of two locked positions. However, it will be readily v appreciated that the locking arrangement of this invention may be utilized wherever there is a requirement to lock a rotatable lever element in more than one position.

The movie camera used to illustrated the principles of this invention is provided with electric cells which are contained within a handle and battery compartment, the electromotive force provided by this source of potential being used to energize a motor for advancing the film.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the main body portion of the motion picture camera is indicated generally at 10. The handle and battery compartment is indicated generally at 12; the compartment 12 comprises mating half sections 14 and 16. As may be seen from FIG. 1, the compartment 12 is generally externally contoured to provide a comfortable hand grip for the operator, and as depicted, it is in the extended as opposed to the closed position, which latter position will presently be defined. The movie camera is arranged so that section 14 and section 16 may be closed in unitary arrangement by means of the locking button 18. The details of the handle and battery compartment 12 are more fully disclosed and claimed in the commonly assigned coepnding US. patent application Ser. No. 678,982, entitled Handle and Battery Compartment for Photographic Apparatus, filed in the name of Walter Edward Taylor on Oct. 30, 1967.

A detent button is indicated at 20, and as may be observed in FIG. 1, the button assists in holding the compartment or hand grip 12 between the cover wall members 22, 24 of the camera body 10.

The locking arrangement is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. A stub shaft 26 is pressed into a raised boss (unnumbered) on the body member 22. The shaft 26 is hollowed or recessed at 2 8 to receive a helical spring 30. The compartment 12, shown with its companion half sections 14, 16 is provided with an aperture at 32, into which the shaft 26 and the compression spring 30 protrude in operating position. The section members 14, 16 are recessed at 34, 36, respectively, for purposes which will presently be made clear. A keying member means is indicated generally at 38 and comprises an extended shaft 5 portion 40, lug members 42, 44, and a detent button 20. The extended shaft portion 40 has a diameter of such magnitude so as to fit closely within the recess 28 in rotat- ;ing engagement. The cover member 24 is suitably apertured at 46, the periphery of the aperture 46 including diametrically opposed raised arcuate stop elements 48, 50 and diametrically opposed enlarged arcuate recesses at 52, 54.

Completing the description of the practical embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a sliding contact is indicated at 56. Electrical isolation between the body member 22 and the sliding contact 56 is provided by a vulcanized fiber paper insulation element 58. One terminal member for the battery in the compartment 12 is shown at 60 (FIG. 2) and is arranged to make contact with the sliding contact member 56. The other terminal member for the battery in the compartment 12 is indicated partially in phantom section at 62; this terminal member 62 bears against the shaft 26, which is electrically common with the camera body.

OPERATION In the normal carrying position of the movie camera, the handle and battery compartment 12 is tucked in against the camera body, so that the whole forms a conveniently handled, substantially rectangular unit, the compartment 12 being locked in closed position by means of the locking arrangement of this invention.

As depicted in the schematic of FIG. 4, the compartment 12 (shown in phantom section) by definition is in the closed position. It will be noted that lugs 42, 44 of the keying member 38 are seated in recesses 34, 36 and are in contiguous relationship with arcuate raised stop elements 48, 50. The spring means 30 bears against the end of the shaft portion 40, forcing lugs 42, 44 into the recesses 34, 36. The raised stop elements 48, 50 have a slight ramp (approximately 15) in the axial direction of the keying element 38 which permits the lugs 42, 44 to be wedged tight so as to hold the compartment 12 immobile.

When it is desired to rotate the compartment 12 to the extended position as defined in FIG. 5, the buttin is depressed and the compartment 12 is rotated slightly. This movement causes lug 42 of the keying element 38 to ride on the raised arcuate stop element 48 of the cover 24 as compartment 12 is rotated. At the same time, the lug 44 of the keying element 38 rides on the arcuate stop element 50 of the cover 24. The spring means continues to press against the bottom of the extended shaft portion 40.

As the compartment 12 continues to rotate, lugs 42, 44 reach the end of their travel on arcuate stop elements 48, 50 and drop into the arcuate recesses 52, 54. This extended position is depicted in FIG. 5. As is indicated in the diagram of FIG. 4, the compartment 12 has been displaced through '100 of angular rotation. In the extended position, the handle 12 cannot be further advanced in the forward direction because of the geometry of the compartment 12 and the cover members 22, 24. Return in the reverse direction is also prohibited by the locking action afforded by lugs 42, 44 which wedge tightly against the arcuate stop elements 48, 50 (FIG. 5).

In an analagous manner, the handle 12 may be returned from the extended position of FIG. 5 to the closed position of FIG. 4, merely by pressing the detent button 20 and rotating the handle 12, thus moving the lugs 42, 44 out of the recesses 52, 54 and permitting the operator to rotate member 12 in the direction of the next locked position.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A detent device comprising:

(a) support means having an aperture with a plurality of arcuate recesses and a plurality of raised stop elements arranged alternately around the periphery of said aperture;

(b) keying means comprising a plurality of lug members;

(c) detent actuating means adapted to fit slidably and rotatably into said aperture;

((1) a handle member rotatably mounted on said support means, substantially coaxially with said aperture, and having a plurality of recessed openings each adapted to receive a respective one of said lug members; and

(e) biasing means on said support means adapted to exert a biasing force against said keying means, urging said lug members into said recesses, whereby the detent actuating means enables manual displacement of said lug members out of said recesses to permit said lug members to be rotatably displaced until the lug members are in locking engagement with said stop elements respectively.

2. A detent device comprising:

(a) support means having an aperture with a plurality of arcuate recesses and a plurality of raised stop elements arranged alternately around the periphery of said aperture;

(b) keying means comprising a plurality of lug members and detent actuating means adapted to fit slidably and rotatably into said aperture;

(c) a handle member rotatably mounted on said support means, substantially coaxially with said aperture, and having a plurality of recessed openings each adapted to receive a respective one of said lug members; and

(d) spring means on said support means adapted to exert a biasing force against said keying means, urging said lug members into said recesses, whereby the detent actuating means enables manual displacement of said lug members out of said recesses to permit said lug members to be rotatably displaced until the lug members are in locking engagement with said stop elements respectively.

3. A detent device for a handle arranged on a movie camera or the like and adapted to be movable into successive locked positions comprising:

(a) a support member on said movie camera having an aperture and a plurality of recesses and raised stop elements arranged alternately around the periphery of said aperture;

(b) a keying member comprising a plurality of lug members and detent actuating means, the detent actuating means being adapted to fit into said aperture and extend externally of said support member;

(c) a handle member rotatably mounted on said support member, substantially coaxially with said aperture, and having a plurality of recessed openings therein adapted to receive said plurality of lug members in locking engagement;

(d) spring means on said support member adapted to exert a biasing force against said keying member, whereby in a predetermined locked position, said lug members are in contiguous engagement with a cooperating pair of stop elements, to provide locking positions, respectively, the detent activating means enabling manual displacement of said lug members to permit said lug members to be rotatably displaced along said stop elements until the lug members fall into the adjacent recesses and are moved into subsequent locking engagement with a pair of said stop elements. 4. A detent device for a handle arranged on a movie camera or the like and adapted to be movable into two successive locked positions comprising:

6 stop elements measured in the direction of rotation being substantially 100; (b) a keying member comprising a plurality of lug members and detent actuating means integral therewith, the detent actuating means being adapted to (a) support means on said movie camera, said sup- 5 fit into said aperture and extend externally of said port means having an aperture therein and a plurality support member; of recesses and raised stop elements arranged al- (c) a shaft mounted on said support means, said shaft ternately around the periphery of said aperture, the being axially recessed; angular displacement between ad acen t edges of sand 10 (d) a handle member rotatably mounted on said shaft stop elements measured in the direction of rotatlon substantially coaxial w1th said aperture, sa1d handle being substantially 100; member having a plurality of recessed openings (1:) a keying member comprising a plurality of lug therein adapted to receive said lug members so that in members and a detent actuating means integral therelooking engagement, said keying member and said with, the detent actuating means being adapted to handle member move in unison; fit into said aperture and extend externally of said (e) helical spring means mounted in the axial recess support member; of said shaft, adapted to exert a biasing force against (c) a handle member rotatably mounted on said supsaid keying member, whereby in either one of said port member, coaxial with said aperture, and adapted locked positions, the said lug members rest in said to be displaced between said two locked positions, recesses in contiguous engagement with a cooperatsard handle member having a plurality of recessed mg pan of stop elements, respectively, the detent ivpemngs hereln azlgtpted ti) ricewe said plurality o5 a l:tuating rgelans beinlg adaptable 1f lor manually disug mem ers so at 1n oc mg engagement, sa1 p acing sai ug mem ers sot att ey may be rotatkeying member and said handle member move in ably displaced along said raised stop elements until unison; the lug members fall into the subsequent recesses (d) helical spring means mounted on said support in locking engagement with said stop elements.

member adapted to exert a biasing force against said keying member, whereby in either one of said References Cited locked positions, said lug members are in contiguous UNITED STATES PATENTS engagement with a cooperating pair of stop elements, respectively, the detent actuating means being adapt- 1,474,505 11/1923 Asmey 74 528 able for manually displacing said lug members to per- 1,719,850 7/1929 Pnce' mit said lug members to be rotatably displaced along 2174859 10/1939 Mccarthy' said raised stop elements until the lug members fall 2,432,574 12/1947 Josefiak' into the sebsequent recesses and are moved into lock- 2'631470 3/1953 Sandburg ing engagement with the succeeding stop elements. 2*883'879 4/1959 Etzenhouser et 5. A detent device for a handle arranged on a movie 2,917,942 12/1959 Jarrett et 74-528 camera or the like and adapted to be movable into two 3,107,546 10/1963 Rowland 74' 504 successive locked positions comprising:

(a) support means on said movie camera, said support means having an aperture therein and a plurality of recesses and raised stop elements arranged alternately around the periphery of said aperture, the angular displacement between adjacent edges of said FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner F. D. SHOEMAKER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 87- 3 

